


Fae Shenanigans

by TheMidgardSerpent



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fae & Fairies, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Magic, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:27:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27722801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMidgardSerpent/pseuds/TheMidgardSerpent
Summary: They warned her. Do not step into a fairy ring. But Adora just had to have that nice looking picture to bring back from her vacation to Ireland. Little did she know that literally one small step would bring change into her life that she thought only to be myth and legend.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 60





	Fae Shenanigans

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome friends!
> 
> Brain: Hey here's an idea, write about it  
> Me: Ok cool. Here's 2.5k, that's about the same as my last fics. That's good right?  
> Brain: Make it longer  
> Me: Oh um well, how about 6.3k? That's over double that length  
> Brain: Bitch did I stutter? You'll stop when I say you can stop
> 
> Another 7k later...
> 
> A few quick notes!
> 
> 1\. I am not Irish so I hope my previous lack of linguistic and cultural knowledge is not offensive, however I did try to make all translations and slang as accurate as Internet research will allow. If any of you reading are Irish and see that I have made a mistake somewhere, please let me know and I will be more than happy to correct it.
> 
> 2\. There will be a translation guide in the end notes for the phrases in Irish and slang. Unfortunately I am not able to add them in as the story progresses without constantly interrupting the narrative.
> 
> 3\. Music will play a big part for all you music lovers out there! Again though, the selections will be at the end so as not to interrupt the narrative and for those who prefer to just read
> 
> A quick shout out to itcanprobablysmellfear for helping me clean up the errors in this. Much love girl!
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

A week long trip to Ireland.

It was something Adora had always wanted to do, but never had the funds to do so growing up. Traveling anywhere wasn't exactly within an orphan's budget. After receiving an ancestry kit from her long time foster sister Lonnie one holiday, she immediately made a travel bucket list, with Ireland being at the top since it held the highest percentage of her genetic spread. It took a few more years after that to save up enough, but she had finally done it. As she exited the airport and began making her way to the bed and breakfast she had rented a room at, she couldn't help but smile to herself and think, _"I've made it."_

The drive to the nearby town from the airport took her through majestic mountains jutting from the earth and past deep forests promising secrets of old. She couldn't help but stare in awe and wonder at the beautiful green landscape passing her by. The difficulty of driving on the opposite side of the road was only compounded by the gorgeous distractions passing her by. She hoped that by coming to the land where a few of her ancestors had come from would be a magical experience, and so far the country had not begun to disappoint.

In seemingly no time at all, she arrived in the town of Alwyn. She chose this somewhat small yet cozy town to stay in for its lack of major tourism. She wanted to get an authentic taste of the area, yet if she did want to go back to the city it was still within driving distance. Adora considered herself very lucky. There was only one bed and breakfast in the town and on top of the supposedly long reservation list, there was also an in depth screening process. She somehow had found herself at the front of line and mentioned her surprise to one of the women who ran it. The response she received was, "Sometimes we just get an extra dose of magic in our lives. Lucky you lass!"

As Adora finally pulled up to where she would be resting her head for the duration of her stay, she thought that the photos hardly did the cottage justice. Standing at two stories tall, it was a picturesque beauty that seemed to embody the comfort of a well loved home. The setting sun cast a warm glow across its face, and though it seemed very aged, there were clear signs of constant upkeep. She noticed that the ivy that grew in sprawling sections had patterns to them, as if they were just another added improvement to the home. Peaking around the corner to take a glance at the rear of the property, she saw the beginnings of an extensive garden.

She hauled her suitcase up to the front door with a bit of trepidation. After all, she was about to stay with two complete strangers. She pushed past her rising doubts and remembered that these two were among the highest rated to stay with in the country, with hundreds of glowing reviews about their service. With these positive thoughts outweighing her doubts, she announced her presence with a ringing of the doorbell. After a brief moment, a woman with an infectious air of excitement appeared in the doorway. "Oh you must be the lass from the States. It's so good to meet you Adora!"

"It's wonderful to meet you too." Adora replied with a smile, her nerves easily being soothed by the woman's friendly demeanor. The pleasant sound of her heavy accent helped make her truly feel like she was actually here in the country. As she took in her host, she couldn't help but notice her pinker than normal skin. She convinced herself it was just a trick of the light before asking, "Would you be Netty or Ella?"

"I'm Ella. My wife Netty is out in town at the moment, but she will be back before dinner. Please come in! Would you like some help with your things?"

"No thank you but that's very kind."

"Alright lass. Let me show you to your room."

As Adora was led to the second floor, she took stock of the interior. It seemed to be every part the home of a couple in love. There were many photos and mementos detailing the two women, but the common theme was one of happiness. It sparked a small sense of jealousy and longing in Adora for what they appeared to share. "And here we are, this one will be your room!"

It was a modest bedroom, with a full-sized bed, closet, dresser, and a door that lead to a personal bathroom. Looking out of the window next to the bed, Adora could see more of the garden in the backyard. It grew into a curved, earthen mound that formed a natural fence. There were many different kinds of plants, ranging from aesthetic beauties to various herbs. _Someone must have_ _a green thumb._ "Here's a key for the front door, in case you need to come in and out while we're not here. I'll let you get unpacked lass. I can put the kettle on for a cuppa if you'd like. 

"I'm sorry ma'am, a what?"

Ella giggled for a moment before responding, "Tea. I can make you some tea while you unpack if you'd like."

Normally Adora wasn't a tea drinker, but she couldn't help but be charmed by Ella's hospitality. She figured when in Rome, or in this case Ireland. "Sure ma'am, that sounds great", she replied with a smile.

"Excellent! It'll be ready by the time you settle in" Ella said as she spun in a circle to make her way to the kitchen. Adora spent the next few minutes unpacking. Most of her clothes were more on the practical side, being suited to heavy travel use. She did bring a couple nice outfits, just in case she found a local girl to flirt with. She didn't want to entirely, miserably fail to impress. _A girl can hope right?_ As she began putting the last item away, she heard a high pitched whistle coming from downstairs. She freshened up in the bathroom before heading down to see what Ella would make for her.

Her host was still arranging a tray for them to share when she heard Adora coming down the stairs. "I have some of everything for you to choose from, most of it grown in our garden" Ella called out.

"That's very kind of you. I'll take your recommendation since I'm a bit unfamiliar with making tea" Adora admitted with a small sheepish smile.

"That's quite all right lass. I'll make Netty's favorite for you and see how you like it."

Ella took a pinch of the dried tea sprigs, placed them into a small metal ball and let it begin to soak in the hot water of the tea cup. She then began to mix in honey and milk in what seemed like a very practiced routine. _I imagine if it's her wife's favorite she would be very familiar with how to make it_ , Adora thought to herself. "Here you go dear. See how you like this."

The tea had a sumptuous aroma to it that had Adora fluttering her eyes before she even tasted it. She heard Ella chuckle in amusement and couldn't help blush in embarrassment. "It's all right Adora, no need to be scundered. Netty always does the same thing when I make it for her."

Nerves calmed once again, Adora cooled the tea with her breath before taking a sip. Despite not tasting many teas in her life, Adora decided that whatever concoction that Ella had produced was easily the most delicious. She couldn't help but let out a content sigh along with a spreading smile on her face. "I take it that you like it?"

"It's delicious Ella. I have to get this recipe from you" Adora said, which had the instant effect of Ella breaking into a wide grin.

"I'd be happy to, but the tea is a special blend Netty and I grow in our garden. I may be able to put a small batch together for you, but it won't last long."

"Speaking of the garden, could I get a tour of it? I've never seen one like it."

"Of course dear! Here, let's-"

Ella was interrupted by the front door opening, and entered a woman Adora recognized as the one from the photos with Ella. _This must be Netty_. The woman immediately began putting away her things by the door, not yet noticing her guest. "Hey darling, you would not believe how busy the bakery was today. We actually managed to sell out of most of everything, including-"

At this, Netty finally turned around and noticed Adora, who gave a shy wave from her place on the couch. "Ah you must be Adora. Great to meet ya. I'm Netossa, but everyone calls me Netty. It's nice to finally have another person from the States in this town" Netty said as she made her way to sit next to Ella. Adora noticed that there was a Southern drawl to her speech. As soon as she was situated, she was handed a tea cup from her wife and began taking small sips, making a fluttering sigh as she did. Adora did a double take at seeing the third cup. _I'm positive Ella only brought two cups from the kitchen and she hasn't gone back since sitting down. Where did she get that one?_

Once she had taken a few sips of her favorite tea, Netty leaned over and gave Ella a sweet yet chaste kiss. "It's so good to see you again a chuisle mo chroí."

Ella, ever cheerful, smiled back and replied, "The feelings mutual, mo mhuirnín dílis. I think I've made another fan of your favorite tea here."

"I can't blame her. You make it magical."

The two shared a laugh as though it was an inside joke between them. Once they both quieted, Ella spoke up, "I was just about to show Adora the garden. Care to join us?"

"I will once I change. You two go on, I'll be out in a minute."

At that, Netty rose and began making her way to where Adora assumed their bedroom resided. Soon after Netty left, Ella stood and gestured for Adora to follow her to the garden. Though Adora certainly wouldn't call herself an expert on plants, she could still see that the expansive garden was divided into three basic sections. Vegetables grew in abundance to the right, herbs were given center stage, and to the left flowers of many different kinds were blooming. The same ivy covering the cottage was also growing here, carefully maintained to form barriers between the sections. It also covered the twelve foot tall, curved, earthen wall that encompassed the entire yard. There was a bird feeder that was situated at the right end of the wall currently playing host to a couple of robins. As Adora took in all that there was to see, she noticed off to the left a ring of mushrooms that had grown into a near perfect circle. "How did you get the mushrooms to grow like this?"

Ella turned from the herb section and gave the ring a fond smile. She began to speak with a twinkle in her eyes, "That there is a fairy ring. It's not something that we can plant, it has to grow on its own."

"Why is it called a fairy ring?" Adora asked with curiosity swimming in her eyes.

"These rings have a lot of folklore attached to them. A common theme is that fae would use them as dancing circles for their wild parties. One of this town's local legends is that a fairy ring shows where someone can travel from Earth to the world of the fae, Etheria."

"Cool", Adora said before approaching the circle to make a closer observation.

"Careful kid, another theme with those rings is that it's usually a bad idea for humans to enter them, or even get close to them", Netty said as she stepped down from the patio to stand beside her wife, now dressed in lounge wear. "There's a couple of stories that have good fortune attached to them, but the majority depict these rings as the downfall of those who interact with them."

While she didn't quite buy into the folklore, out of respect for her hostesses, she took a step back and looked at the two women with confusion as she asked, "If they're such bad luck, then why do you let it stay here?"

Netty turned to Ella with an eyebrow raised, clearly expecting an answer from her. Ella gave a playful scoff at her other half's expression before turning back to Adora. "We like to think of ourselves as….. respectful of the fae and their ways. We haven't touched it since it began growing many years ago. It's never grown larger than this and doesn't interfere with the other plants in the garden. I like to think it's a blessing. Many of the plants have grown either more abundantly or more beautifully than normal."

Adora quietly contemplated all that she was told, but before she could respond, her stomach gave a loud growl heard by all present. "Oh you must be starving after your trip to get here. I'll get dinner started" Ella said as she walked back into the house.

"I'm sorry" Adora quietly mumbled.

Netty let out an amused chuckle before responding, "Don't be. You're hardly the first to ever get hungry. So, I know you haven't been here long, but what do you think of everything?"

Adora broke out into a wide smile, eyes sparkling with excitement, "Everything's been amazing. The drive here was gorgeous, the town seems so cozy, and your home is absolutely beautiful. I've been wanting to take this trip for a few years now and so far, I haven't been disappointed in the least bit. I can't wait to get out and explore tomorrow."

Netty gave a soft smile of her own. "I'm glad you're liking it so far. I think moving here after meeting Ella was the best decision I've ever made, you know, apart from marrying her. The town has a bit of everything so it's somewhat self-sufficient. There's several farms surrounding us that supply a farmer's market, a butcher, the bakery that Ella and I run, and four pubs."

With a look of slight disbelief, Adora asked, "Four pubs for a town this small?"

Netty merely chuckled and spread her arms as she responded, "Welcome to Ireland! The four are all rivals with each other. Sometimes it becomes a bit much if the regulars at each become too rowdy with each other. Don't let that discourage you though. They're all great places to go and each owner or owners are wonderful and generally keep the peace."

Adora and Netty spent the next ten minutes talking about local history and what it was like to live in the town. She described a quiet town where everyone knew everyone and really didn't have a crime rate to speak of beyond what mayhem drunk patrons of the pubs could cause. They were soon interrupted by Ella poking her head and calling out to them, "Dinner's ready!"

Netty patted Adora on the shoulder as they made their way back inside. "You're in for a treat, Adora. I might be biased, but Ella is the best cook in town. Her dishes always seem to turn out better than anything I can ever make. She's the main reason the bakery does so well."

As they entered the cottage, Adora was floored by the spread Ella had set out for them. _How in the world did she get this all made so quickly? She couldn't have been in here for more than fifteen minutes! I guess she prepped most of it earlier?_ Ella had already set the table and was beginning to divvy up the food for the three of them. She pointed to each as she spoke, "Here we have traditional lamb stew, oatmeal soda bread, colcannon, and for dessert apple cake."

With the food served, they all sat down to eat. Netty could not have possibly prepared Adora for how delicious the meal was. It seemed that her bias was founded in more than just preference for her wife's cooking. Adora couldn't determine what, but there did seem to be something more than just what Ella explained was in each dish. She tried prying and figuring it out, but all she got from Ella was, "It's just my special touch I suppose."

"So Adora, do you have your whole trip planned out?" Netty asked as they all began to slow their eating pace.

"I have a few things I want to do while here, but no I don't have every day planned."

"If you're looking for a guide to the area, there's a kind lad in town named Bow. He was born here and lived in town for a while before his fathers moved the family to Dublin. He came back as soon as he could, saying he was drawn to the town like nowhere else. He now spends his time giving tours of the area to tourists who come by. He usually is taken to the bigger cities for his work but if you want, I can see if he can squeeze you into his schedule this week" Ella said as she began to lean into Netty's shoulder.

"That sounds great! I'd love to see the area from a local's point of view."

At Adora's acceptance of the idea, Ella pulled her phone out and made a call. It took a moment, but the call was connected and through it came a boisterous voice, "Ella, a chara! Conas ata tú?"

With a gentle smile, Ella responded, "Tá mé go an maith, a stóirín. I'm hosting a young woman from the States and she's looking for a local guide this week. Would you have some time free?"

"Of course! Anything to help me mams. In fact if the lass is free, we can meet in the morning."

Ella looked up from the device and gave Adora a question look. She considered it for a moment before assenting. "She is. How about meeting at the bakery?"

"Sound! She'll get to have your scones!"

As the two continued to converse, Netty leaned across to Adora and whispered, "Ella's scones are a specialty of hers. We always sell out before eight in the morning."

"I'm looking forward to trying them then" Adora responded with a smile.

After the call ended, Ella yawned and rose from the table. "Meeting and talking with you has been lovely Adora, but I need to be up early to prep the bakery. I hope you'll excuse me."

"Of course! Thank you so much for making dinner, I haven't had such a delicious home cooked meal like that in so long."

"You're pure nice. I'll see you at the bakery in the morning."

With that, Ella made her way to her room leaving Netty to clean up. Years of ingrained lessons on cleanliness came bursting forth from her foster mother, even thousands of miles away, stirring Adora to try and help. Netty adamantly refused to accept at first, but Adora's stubbornness won out in the end. She compromised and only helped put the dishes away. After they were done, they sat down to have another cup of tea. Though it was prepared in the exact same way as earlier, it lacked that special something that was present when Ella made it. Netty and Adora continued to converse for a short time, but eventually the traveling and the heavy food caught up with Adora and she began to slip away. She excused herself and barely got ready for bed before passing out.

The next day awoke Adora with gentle songs from the birds visiting the feeder, warm rays of sunlight spilling through the blinds, and the smell of brewing coffee. She groggily began to rouse herself from her slumber, stumbling as she made her way about the room to prepare for the day. When she did manage to make it downstairs, she saw Netty in the kitchen with a cup of steaming coffee in her hands. "Good morning Adora. Care for some Irish coffee?"

"Sure, what makes it Irish though?"

Netty just gave a chuckle in response as she began to fix Adora a cup, grabbing a bottle of Jameson that was sitting on the counter. The scents of cinnamon and nutmeg joined the roasted coffee in a delightful twisting aroma that had Adora nearly watering at the mouth. When she was given her cup, she eagerly took a small sip of the brew. The delicious taste of the whiskey, coffee, and other flavors coated her tongue in a way that created an instant addiction. _I can never have coffee in any other way_.

"You seem to like it," Netty said with a smug grin forming on her lips.

"All other coffee has been ruined for me."

A crisp peal of laughter sounded out through the kitchen. "Yea, I like to brag that while Ella may have tea down to a science, coffee is my domain. We have it available at the bakery, but we use a lower quality whiskey there to offset the cost. This though is my special recipe."

Adora gave a quiet hum in response while she focused on the delicious beverage. The two sat content while they finished their drinks. Once they were done, Netty collected the glasses and gave them a quick rinse before setting them to the side. "So, ready to head to the bakery?"

"Yea, how far away is it?"

"Short enough distance to walk."

Sure enough, they were soon walking through the doors of the bakery. The wave of aroma carrying the scent of fresh bread, pastries, and coffee slammed into Adora as she crossed the doorway. She swore she could taste the air it was so fragrant. After savoring the scent, she opened her eyes and took in the sight before her. It had a cafe style seating area between it and the glass counter, where many different types of pastries sat on shelves. Beyond that was what looked to be where everything was made. She counted at least five ovens and two huge coffee brewers. Adora then noticed that she and Netty were not alone. Ella was standing behind the counter wearing an apron that reminded Adora of a maid's outfit. She was conversing with a young man that sat at the closest table to where she stood. The two were speaking rapidly in Irish. Netty called out to them with a joking tone, "Alright that's enough of that. Some students in the class can't keep up when you two get like that."

The young man turned and smiled when he saw her. He stood up and held his arms open wide as he walked towards her. "Mammy!"

The two embraced in a firm hug before they both turned towards Adora. Netty gestured to him as she spoke, "Adora this is Bow. Ella and I watched him and his brothers when they were younger."

"She's being modest. They took care of us so much we all started thinking of them as our mothers."

"Ah shut it kid" Netty said as she began ruffling his hair.

"It's wonderful to meet you Bow. Netty and Ella have told me so much about you" Adora said as she extended her hand in greeting. Bow returned the handshake and led her back to his table.

"The pleasure is all mine. Ella told me a little about what ye wanted to do while you're here. I am eager to help out" he said with a smile on his face. Bow seemed so cheerful that Adora couldn't help but begin to like him. "So, Ella mentioned that you were interested in having a local guide but didn't say much beyond that. Did ye have a plan for yer visit?" Bow asked as he slipped into his job role.

"Well, I had a couple of ideas. I wanted to take a hike up one of the mountains and maybe a forest nearby. I wanted to visit a few pubs. I also think I want to spend some time here in this town."

Bow sat for a moment in quiet contemplation, before looking back up at Adora. "Well I won't be able to take a full week off but I do have a few days free. Did ye have anything set in stone today?"

"No I didn't."

At this, he broke into a wide grin. "Then lass do I have a day for ye!"

Before he could elaborate, Ella appeared next to the table with a small variety of scones. "Here ye are. These are my famous honey glazed apple scones. Enjoy!"

Bow scooped up two and began stuffing his face with them. Adora grabbed one as well but with less fervor. After taking a bite of the scone, she understood why Bow was so eager to dig into them. Again, though she couldn't place it, there was a familiar spark of something extra that gave the scone just so much more flavor. Adora let out a very satisfied sigh before refocusing on the topic at hand. "So, what's this day you have in mind?"

Bow finished off the scones he had picked up before responding, "Ok so, Carrauntoohil isn't too far from here. It's one of the best mountains to hike in Ireland. As long as yer in good shape, we can knock it out as a somewhat short day hike. Afterwards, we come back here and try out one or more of the pubs here in town this evening. Simple, but it does get a good start on that list of yers."

Adora had to admit, it did sound like a good day to her. Since she didn't have any reason to say no, she happily agreed to the plan.

"Great! Do ye need to grab anything before we head out?"

"Just a small bag for water and an easy lunch."

"Simple enough. I'll drive us back to Netty and Ella's so you can grab that and we'll be on our way." They finished eating the apple scones, bid Netty and Ella goodbye, the former of whom barely gave them a farewell, clearly focused on her wife's attire.

The drive towards the mountain was shorter than her previous excursion through the countryside, but it was no less beautiful. She felt herself mesmerized by the landscape, as if it was calling out for her to lose herself within its depths. Soon enough though, they found themselves parking. As they stretched, Adora struck up a conversation, "So have you ever done this hike before?"

"Many times. This is Ireland's highest mountain, so many hikers want to tackle it while they're here. A really popular trail with hardcore enthusiasts is the Coomloughra Horseshoe. It also hits the two other tallest mountains in one big loop. It can be a hard challenge though. There's a few different ways to hike this thing, what's your experience with mountain climbing?"

"I'm no expert but I have been challenging myself with hikes in the Rockies back in the States for the past two years."

As Bow finished up his stretches, he gave a firm nod of determination that seemed to indicate a decision made. "Then I have a good idea of what's going to be the best trail to do."

With that, the two set off on their journey. While it set an intense pace almost from the start, Adora couldn't deny that every step was worth it. She had bought a digital camera for this trip alone and she was already getting her money's worth. The route took them to a river with large stepping stones for them to cross, but Bow turned them away from that path to follow one off to the right. It took them up a slope that overlooked a lake, or lough as they were locally called. The trail began to climb higher, cresting the first mound of the hill. From the top, Adora could look and see the summit of their destination on one side and a ridgeline with a distinct rock outcropping on the other. Bow noticed her gaze as she studied it, and spoke up, "That's Hag's Tooth ridge, named after that crop of rock. Local stories say that a witch was fleeing the church a long time ago and made her last stand near that outcropping. They say her use of dark magic angered the earth, causing it to burst forth and skewer her."

"Whoa. So even the ground is supposed to have magic?"

"According to myths and legends but yea. Nature is said to have its own power, even stronger than magical creatures and people."

Adora and Bow spent a few moments discussing other stories on the local mountains. She found the folklore and stories fascinating, if not a bit far fetched at times. After some time, she noticed a fairy ring in the middle of the mound. It had a perfect view of the surrounding area. She got an idea that she knew went against the advice she received at the cottage, but it sure would look good on her Instagram page.

"Hey Bow, are you superstitious?"

He gave her a surprised look, before amusedly shaking his head and answering, "No I'm not superstitious. All these things are just myths and stories."

"Great, because I want to sit in the middle of that fairy ring and have you take my picture."

"......Ok sure. What could go wrong?"

"According to Netty and Ella, a lot."

"Yea probably best we don't mention it to them. They take all of this pretty seriously."

And so, Adora walked up to the ring, took a deep breath, and stepped inside. A small part of her brain screamed danger, but it was quickly overshadowed by the lack of any event happening. No portals opened, no angry fae appeared, nothing out of the ordinary at all happened. She looked back at Bow to see his reaction, but he looked completely nonplussed. "So nothing happened…"

"Well yea Adora, it's just a ring of mushrooms. Let's take the picture and get back to the trail."

Adora sat cross legged in the ring as she waited for Bow to take the picture with her camera. The picture turned out to be exactly what she wanted, a cute picture of a girl surrounded by the ring of mushrooms with the backdrop of the beautiful Irish countryside. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Of course that changed when she got up to leave the circle.

As she was about to cross the edge, she felt something trip her feet up, sending her sprawling outside the ring. She lay there for a moment, coming to terms that she tripped over nothing, or so she rationalized to herself.

"You okay there?"

"Yea, sorry just tripped over myself."

Bow let out a laugh and reached to help her up. "Well at least try to keep on your two feet for this next part, there's a lot of loose rocks." Adora took his hand to help up so they could continue. Before they left the mound completely, Adora thought she heard very faint laughter and music coming from behind her. She turned around to find the source, but all she saw was the empty fairy ring.

As they climbed up the scree to the second mound, Adora became more aware of weird things happening to her. It seemed to her that every five steps, she would have to stop and rid her shoe, or occasionally shoes, of small rocks that came from nowhere, as the rocks that formed the scree were too large. Every time she stopped, she thought she felt her pack get heavier when she started walking again. She heard odd sounds but it was always faint and always just outside of where she could determine its source. Adora didn't mention any of this to Bow, partly because if she did, she would be admitting something strange was happening, and because she didn't want to appear to be the gullible foreigner. After his lack of reaction to the fairy circle, she believed he would laugh it off or worse, call her crazy. She didn't want to potentially lose not only her local guide, who was basically doing his job non grata for her hostesses, but also a new friend in the country.

As they made their way to the top of the third mound, the two found themselves overlooking another lough. Bow fell back into his tour guide role as he began to speak, "This is the highest lough in Ireland, Cummeenoughter Lough. Some hikers like to make this their final stop instead of the peak. They will take a swim to wash off the sweat from the climb."

Adora had to agree with the thought. The lough was a deep beautiful blue, beckoning for her to explore its waters. She found herself drawn to the edge of the shore, sitting down as they agreed to take a break. She opened her pack and was stunned by what she saw. There were many rocks piled nearly to the brim, her water bottles were empty despite the seal being unbroken and no visible damage to the plastic, and her food was perfectly cut in two with the right halves missing.

 _Okay, that's it Adora. Next time the locals tell you to not do something, don't do it_.

Adora didn't believe in anything like the fae before this trip, but the weird series of events were quickly beginning to sway her. She began the strange tasks of cleaning up her pack, attempting to spread the rocks as best she could without drawing suspicion. And again, that very faint laughter dancing on the edge of her hearing made itself known to her. She resolved to research more about the fae when she returned to the cottage.

Once she was done getting her bag in proper order, she signaled to Bow that she was ready to move on. She tried to not let what was happening get to her head, but seeing as it didn't slow down, it was a losing battle. She found that she had to stop and tie her shoes frequently, even after firmly securing the strings in knots. Her hair was constantly tussled and flew in her face despite the barely existent breeze. The hood to her jacket flipped up many times to cover her head. All throughout the experiences, that same faint laughter danced at the edge of her hearing.

Finally, finally, Adora and Bow reached the top of the mountain. Had she not been subject to all manner of odd happenings, she would have thought it to be stunningly gorgeous. In light of all that was going on, she honestly just wanted to head back and drink her misery away. She was able to pass it off as exhaustion without too much question, though her old army sergeant would have called her out in an instant. She still took beautiful pictures of the surrounding valleys, mountains, and the occasional lough that she could see. While they rested, Adora noticed that everything stopped for the moment, as if whatever or whoever was causing it all was also enjoying the moment. She purposely ignored the feeling of a presence near her. As they got up to leave, she happened to notice that there were two indented spots of grass where she was sitting.

 _I am so drinking to forget this day when I get to whatever pub we go to_.

Filing the sight away under the ever growing list of weird, Adora and Bow made their way back down the mountain. She didn't notice anything else strange that happened as she walked, however she did note with a bit of trepidation that the fairy ring was gone.

Once the two reached the parking lot, they loaded their packs into Bow's car and rested for a moment. When he tried to start the car though, it would not turn over. After a quick inspection under the hood for potential problems, and finding nothing wrong, Bow tried one more time. Luckily, it started up without any trouble and the two began the drive back to Alwyn. Had they looked behind them, they would have noticed two young women standing where their car had been parked. One was looking in their direction with a small smile on her face. The other was pointedly looking away from both the vehicle and the other girl, with her arms crossed and a grumpy look in her face. They stood in silence until the vehicle was gone from view, and then the first one turned towards her companion and began speaking in a language so old it might as well have been forgotten by time.

<I want to meet her>

<No fucking shit you want to meet her!> The other one screamed as she threw her arms up in exasperation. <Why else would you play such harmless pranks on her after she disrespected a ring? Oh, I know why! It's because you're thinking with your cunt instead of your head! Let's just curse her and get back to Etheria already!>

<Come on Sparkles, what can I do to get you to help me out here?>

  
<There is nothing, and I mean _nothing_ , that will get me to stay here longer than it takes for me to get this spell working!> the other one screamed as she threw her arms up in exasperation. the second one shouted as she raised her arms and began to form a shimmering circle woven out of light.

<.......I'll buy you a barrel of that whiskey you like. What was it, Bushmills?>

The casting immediately halted, followed by a deep sigh. <Fucking bitch. Fine. We'll follow your human.>

<Aww I knew you cared> The first woman said with an all too sweet smile.

<Fuck off!>

Adora found herself sitting in a small corner of a pub called Bradigan's in the early evening with Bow sitting next to her at the table. When she returned to the cottage to prepare for a night out, Netty had immediately noticed that her drained energy was not due to exhaustion, but was tactful enough to not press the issue. Bow was a bit more oblivious and thought it was just the hard hike that they had done earlier. He had cheerfully said that a pint or two or three was the perfect solution to get her back in the Irish vacation mindset. While she did agree that she needed to drink, it was for a totally different reason. She could not get the day's events out of her head. Every slip up, every faint laugh, every single strange occurrence played on a loop in her mind, unwilling to let her have a moment's rest. She didn't know what could possibly cheer her up after a day of possibly being harassed by magical beings from a different dimension.

"Hey there, cailín álainn."

The beautiful lilt of an accent flowed over her ears, enrapturing her and compelling her to find its source. She raised her head in her search for it and found herself lost in eyes that embodied a bright day, with clear sky in the right and golden sunlight in the left.

 _Oh, that'll do it_.

A gorgeous, wild-haired brunette stood before her and Bow, hands gripping the back of one of the extra chairs at the table, with a pleasant smile on her face. Perhaps it was the unusually lit section of the pub, but her canine teeth seemed just a bit longer than they should have been. After a brief moment of observation, because she was definitely not staring, Adora noticed that she was not alone. Off to her left stood another young woman, hair dyed the color of pink with eyes that seemed to literally sparkle. She seemed far less thrilled, though it was not clear what the source of her consternation was.

"May we join ye?"

The alluring voice drew Adora's attention back to those heterochromatic eyes, and she realized she was being asked a question. She turned to Bow to see if he would be willing to let the newcomers join them and nearly blanched at seeing his reaction. His eyes shone with mirth as he looked between Adora and the brunette, his hand covering his mouth but not enough to hide a smile that threatened to completely overtake him. Realizing that she would get no help from him, Adora turned back to the beauty and made her decision. It hardly took any effort.

"Y-yes! I mean, please, uh, have a seat. We'd be happy to have you join us" Adora managed to stammer out.

The pink haired girl scoffed as she rattled off a quick line in what Adora assumed was Irish. The brunette ignored her and sat down in the seat next to Adora, but not before scooting it as close to her as possible without being right up on her. The voice, the eyes, and the action of closeness all came together to make Adora's heart rate to rise. That smile she was wearing had turned at one corner into a smirk, and with it came a thought that dominated Adora's mind. _I am so not surviving whatever this is_.

"Yer not from here are ye? Where do ye hail from?"

 _Fuck, definitely not surviving this_. Adora felt shivers race up and down her spine as the newcomer spoke. She looked to Bow for help, but saw that he was trying to make conversation with the other woman. Her throat had gone dry, so she cleared her throat and took a much bigger than normal sip of her beer before answering. "N-no, I'm visiting from the United States. I just got here yesterday."

"Hmm, long journey to get here. How are ye enjoying the country so far?"

"Most of it's been wonderful. Today was a bit stressful though."

"Oh, poor lass. What happened?" At her question, the brunette's smile curved down into a concerned frown. _How can she still be so beautiful wearing a frown?!_

"My friend and I hiked up the tallest mountain in Ireland, which was breathtaking, but I had some odd accidents along the way that kind of soured the experience. Like, I was tripping over nothing constantly, my water and food disappeared, and rocks were always in my shoes no matter how many times I emptied them." Adora figured it was probably best not to mention everything started after stepping into the fairy ring to this local.

"That's terrible. Tell ye what, next round is on me" the brunette said as her smile returned.

Adora couldn't fight a blush rising to her cheeks. "That's very kind of you… um… what's your name?"

"Oh, names be powerful things here. How's about this? You may call me Catra."

 _That's an odd way to introduce yourself, but the last time I thought something was weird and didn't follow the advice all that strange shit happened_.

"Ok then _Catra_ , you mall call me Adora" she managed without too much trouble, though she couldn't help brushing some of her hair behind her ear out of nervousness. Catra hummed at her response, that maddening smile still plastered to her countenance. She seemed pleased at Adora's matching response. Adora heard a scoff off to her right, and she glanced in time to see the second woman sitting back in her seat while Bow tried to continue to make small talk.

"Ignore her. Sparkles here can be overly dramatic."

"And who's fault is that?! I've lost decades over yer shite!"

Catra let out a peal of laughter that easily became Adora's favorite sound, its melodic sound lifting her spirits even further. She felt she had to know more about this woman, even though she knew she would be leaving the country soon. "So Catra, are you from here?"

"I grew up near here, though it's outside of any town. I'm not sure it's still there" Catra said with a sad wistful look on her face.

Adora didn't know what compelled her to ask her next question, but she did so anyway, "Would you want to try and find it while you're here?"

Catra looked back up at her as she responded, "Don't ye know it's not wise to wander the woods with someone ye don't know?"

 _Thump thump_ "Well, if we get to know each other, then wouldn't it be ok?" _Thump thump_

Catra observed her for a moment before bringing her hand close enough to Adora's for her to link their pinkies together. "I suppose that would be ok" she responded with a soft smile.

_Fuckfuckfuckfuckingfuck_

In an attempt to cool herself off, Adora downed the entire rest of her beer, though it did very little to soothe the warmth that was rapidly spreading throughout her body. At Adora's reaction to her touch, Catra laughed again in that same musical tone. "Looks like yer empty princess. Let's get ye another." She said as she stood, beginning to make her way to the bar. "What are ye drinkin?"

"Since you're the local, I'll drink what you suggest" Adora responded with what she hoped was a bright smile. Catra seemed rather happy with her response as she turned to get the next round for the table.

"Bow, go help her with the drinks." The second woman spoke in a somewhat sharp tone while leveling an even sharper gaze at Adora.

"Uh, yea ok sure" he said in a slightly surprised manner, but nonetheless he got up to help Catra.

Adora sat with the second woman, or Sparkles as Catra called her. It was an awkward moment as Sparkles just kept staring at Adora. Adora decided to try and break the tension by asking, "So, may I ask what to call you?"

The woman's gaze didn't break as she responded, "You may call me Glim. And while we're making nice, here's another thing. Do not hurt Catra."

Seeing her attempt only made things worse, Adora tried switching tactics with Glim to placate her as she responded, "Whoa whoa ok, I had no intention to. I'll back off if you two have something going on."

"We don't like each other like that. In fact, sometimes I can't stand the bitch. But we've known each other for a long time, and I won't stand by and let anyone hurt her in any way. So don't hurt her, _Adora_."

The unsubtle threat hung in the air, charging the energy at the table. Though Glim had not moved an inch, Adora felt like she was a rabbit standing before a wolf, exposed and completely helpless. Before she could think of a response to the hostile tone, Catra and Bow returned to the table, drinks in hand.

"So, we got pints and Catra got a bottle of Jameson to play a game with. Sounds like mighty craic right?"

With Catra's return to her position next to Adora, a full pint in front of her, and a drinking game in the making, she felt the tension slowly bleed from her body. Catra noticed her relief, and immediately shot a look at Glim, who just gave a scoff in return. Returning her attention to Adora, Catra began to explain the game to everyone. "So, you can take a drink from your pints at any time, has nothing to do with the game. We will each take a turn asking another person at the table a question. You can either answer, or take a shot if you don't want to. No repeat questions though. Anyone confused?" After a round of no's circled the table, the game commenced.

Over the course of the next hour and a half, Adora learned many things about her companions. Between the two of them, Catra and Glim could play nearly any instrument. Glim's favorite was the flute while Catra loved any drum, particularly those she could play with just her hands. Bow practiced archery and had won a few tournaments with his talent. Catra had been to forty different countries, while Glim had been to sixty. Bow, while not as skilled as his father Lance, was an excellent linguist and could speak, or at least work his way through, six different languages. Glim had won forty-nine bar fights out of the fifty-two she had ever been the main instigator. Bow sometimes used his spare time as a volunteer ranger for the Dublin Mountains Partnership. Catra had once gotten lost in the woods when she was still living in the area and survived on her own for two weeks before she was found. Adora for her part divulged that she served time in the army (though she did not mention how short it was), had failed her high school drama class (the first time someone had done so in her school's history), could befriend any horse she encountered, and had competed in fourteen marathons.

Though many factoids and tidbits of information were shared, many questions went unanswered, and the liquor bottle was soon drained completely, along with a couple more rounds of pints. Glim had managed to loosen up, even if it was only a little. Bow had become tipsy. Adora and Catra had become more affectionate as they drank more, sneaking subtle touches when they could. They frequently found themselves staring at each other, sharing smiles, and giggling more than what may have been expected at the stories the other would tell regarding the experiences being described. All of a sudden, Adora felt something incredibly soft run up her leg, causing her to jump in surprise and bang her knee against the table. "Ow, fucking shit!"

"What's wrong Adora?" Catra asked with an all too innocent look on her face. Adora didn't know what brushed up against her, but she knew Catra was behind it somehow. All she could do was raise her eyebrow and let a smile form from the suspicion that this was just another step in their game. "Nothing, I thought I felt something on my leg."

"Hmm, how strange" Catra said with that same maddening smirk once again forming on her face. As she spoke, she reached over and placed her hand on Adora's, letting her thumb begin to rub circles.

"Hey Adora, your turn for the round!" Bow shouted with excitement.

_Fucking dammit, all I want is to flirt with Catra. Is that too much to ask Bow!?_

"Alright alright I'm going" she said as she stood to head to the bar. She let her hand remain in contact with Catra's as long as she could, not even hiding their connection as their hands were raised above the table. She kept her eyes locked onto that captivating heterochromatic pair as she walked away from the table. Unfortunately for Adora, her unwillingness to tear her gaze away from the brunette caused her to run right into another patron at the bar. As he turned around, a strong scent of alcohol poured from his mouth as he spoke,"Oi, watch where yer going!"

"I'm so sorry! I was distracted."

The man's eyes came into focus as he leered at her, raking his gaze up and down her body. "Damn lass, if I had a pair o' tits like yers I'd be distracted too! Say, why don't ye come join me and me mates for a while?"

Adora looked over to the table he was gesturing at and saw three other men who had begun to look their way. She recoiled in disgust at the thought of multiple men just as drunk as him perving over her. She didn't want to start anything though so she tried to disengage as quickly as she could when she replied, "No thanks, I'm just trying to get the next round for my friends and I."

After she spoke, she turned back towards the bar, just hoping to get out of this encounter as soon as she could. The drunk grabbed her to turn her back to him before she could get far. "Oh come on lass. I can hear yer not from here. We can show you _all kinds_ of fun spots around the area" he said with a lascivious grin.

Adora tried ripping her arm out of his grip, but it was ironclad. "Get off of me!"

"There's no harm here, we're just having-" the rest of his sentence was cut off in a cry of pain as his arm was pried from Adora before being twisted at an odd angle. She looked over to who had come to her rescue and saw Catra, her multicolored eyes burning in fury at the man.

"She said. Get. Off."

Catra gave him a kick when she was done, sending him sprawling to the ground. He recovered quickly though and rose up in anger at being manhandled so easily. He latched his gaze onto Catra and stormed up into her face as he shouted, "And just what do you think you're doing?!"

Catra remained completely unfazed by his aggressive reaction, as though this was not the first time she had been in such a situation. She responded, "Keeping her safe from a scumbag like you!"

"Scumbag? I'm a great guy just trying to show her a good time!"

"Yea right. You look like the type of guy that had the best part of him run down his ma's leg."

By now, his three friends had gotten up from a nearby table and began making their way towards the two arguing. While Adora was touched and perhaps a little warm under the collar by Catra's defense, she really didn't want to be the cause of a fight in her first Irish pub. She tried to persuade Catra to leave everything be with her words, "It's ok Catra, let's just get our drinks and go back to the table."

As Adora placed her hand on Catra's shoulder to try and guide her back to the table, Catra turned back to her and seemed to consider her words. She held Adora's gaze for a moment before turning with her and saying, "It's not ok, but they're not worth the energy it would take to put them down anyway."

"Oh you think yer startin lass? I'll knack yer melt in wee doll!"

Catra paused and took a deep breath before calling out, "Glim! We got a couple of sids who want a few slaps on the beck."

As if she was waiting for this moment, Glim stood up, downed the rest of her drink in one go, started cracking her knuckles, and responded, "Well shite that's all you had to say! Hope they like hospital food!"

At Glim's provoking words, the still drunk man narrowed his eyes at Catra and said, "Fair dig then" before throwing a punch at the back of her head. She cleanly dodged the blow without looking, and then threw an elbow up towards his face, catching him on the chin. She then spun and then threw her whole body weight into a punch that landed just below his ribcage, causing him to double over. His three friends had by now moved to help their buddy, but were intercepted by Glim who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. She blocked more than a few strikes while easily returning and landing a few of her own. As the fight went on, Adora began to notice that Catra and Glim were toying with the four men, effortlessly flowing between the group as they defended and did damage in return. Taunts and shouts were exchanged as the brawl drew the attention of everyone in the pub, including the owner who began to make his way out from behind the bar. Just before he was about to call out to end the fight, it was over. The man had tried one last ditch effort to hit Catra and managed to land a punch right by her golden eye. Before he could draw his hand away, she shot her arm forward to grab his and flipped him over her back, eyes alight with rage. The fling sent him crashing into a table, splintering part of it as it fell to the ground.

"Alright that's enough of that now! I won't have this continue in me pub!"

Adora observed the dwindling chaos around her. Apart from the final bout that Catra ended, Glim had also done her part, standing amongst the groaning forms of the other three men. She seemed to escape her conflicts without any injury. She turned back to watch the owner reach Catra and Glim and begin to yell again, "You've attacked my patrons and damaged me furniture. I want you out of here!" He then turned to Bow and shouted, "Bow, yer a good lad, but don't let me catch these women in here again or I'll call for the garda!"

"Yes sir, we won't cause any more trouble" Bow said as he tried to usher everyone out. He handed the owner some extra money in an attempt to help pay for the table. The four of them made a prompt exit from the pub to collect themselves. Bow and Glim led the four while Catra and Adora trailed behind them. Glim spoke up when they were a good distance away from the pub, "So we're not ending the night on getting kicked out of there right? We did win the fight, we should drink to celebrate."

Catra smirked as she replied, "Is Sparkles really wanting to continue the night?" She broke into their strange language as she asked her next question, <I thought spending time with humans was beneath you>

<Look, they have a lot of liquor and can give me fights. I've already fought this evening, now I want to drink a lot. That's it>

<Mhm, sure. Having a human hanging off you must be helping too>

At this Glim whirled on her heel and practically shoved her face into Catra's as she raised her voice, <Oh don't even give me that shit! You and your human have been eye fucking each other all evening!>

<At least I didn't try to control her from the beginning like you did! Don't try to hide how focused you were on learning her name! You always do this shit!>

<And why the fuck shouldn't I?! They're just humans!>

The two continued to have at each other, while Bow and Adora stood awkwardly off to the side. She noticed a look of confusion on his face and decided to ask a question, "So what are they saying?"

He took a moment as he listened to the two argue further before answering, "It's so weird Adora. It… feels like it's a Gaelic language but it's not quite Irish, Scottish, Welsh, or any of the others. It's like it has bits and pieces of each of them, but not enough for me to really get a grip on it. I know this sounds weird, but it also sounds old."

"So they can fluently speak an old, barely recognizable language that bears similarity to multiple others? That's not weird at all…."

"Look I'm sure it's nothing. I'm probably just rusty. My dad Lance would pick up on it in a second."

His attempted reassurances did absolutely nothing to assuage Adora's growing concerns, especially after the day she had. She didn't have any conclusive thoughts about what was going on, but that feeling of being a helpless rabbit was returning. Adora turned back to the two as it seemed the two were calming down and backing away from each other. Glim came over to Adora and Bow first with her arms crossed and asked him, "Bow, take us to the next pub, preferably the best of the three we can still visit."

He immediately jumped to lead the way with her trailing not far behind them. Adora watched them for a moment before Catra came up next to her with a sheepish look on her face. "I hope that argument hasn't soured your perspective of us. Glim and I have known each other for a long time and we can get under the other's skin easily."

Adora regarded her for a moment before responding, "Are fights like that common for you two?"

"Yea. It usually doesn't amount to much though. I wouldn't call us best friends or anything like that, but we always seem to come back together so that's got to count for something right?" Catra almost seemed to be searching for reassurance. Her eyes and tone of voice had a pleading edge to them. It was all Adora could do to resist wrapping her in a hug and whisper quiet confirmations of her hopes. She settled for taking Catra's hands into hers and began rubbing her thumbs on the top of Catra's hands as she spoke, "Yea, you're right. If you two are able to come back together after so many fights then that definitely counts for something. It shows that you do care for one another, maybe in an unusual way but still. I'm sure whatever was the cause for this one won't keep you apart."

Catra gave her a soft smile and squeezed her hands before responding, "Tá tú chomh milis."

Adora beamed and fully took Catra's hand into hers as she spoke in return, "I have no idea what what you just said but it sounded nice."

Catra let out a giggle before she spoke again, "Yes it was nice."

"Do I get to know what it was?"

"Hmmm……. nope!" Catra cheerily shot back as they began walking to catch up with Glim and Bow. Adora happily noted that Catra did not remove her hand from Adora's grasp as they followed the other two.

"By the way, thanks for sticking up for me back there."

"I couldn't stand by and let arseholes be arseholes, especially to someone like you, cailín álainn."

Adora didn't know what the last part being said was, but she did know that it sent thrills up and down her body for the entire walk. She remembered that Catra had taken a blow in the last moments of the fight and asked, "Does it hurt?"

"Does what hurt?"

"Your eye. You took a nasty hit."

Catra raised her hand to her left eye to feel the injury. "I've taken worse. It'll heal soon enough. Besides, it was worth it" she said as a damn near loving look took hold of her when she returned her gaze to meet Adora's eyes.

Adora was convinced her heart would never settle in this woman's presence again.

The four were soon entering O'Connor's at around eight that evening. The first thing Glim did was walk up to the bar and begin ordering for the group while the rest of them sat down at an empty table. This time, Catra and Adora immediately pulled two chairs together as close as possible. Catra sat down first and draped her arm over the backrest of the other chair in an invitation for Adora. She giddily took her up on it and curled into Catra as she settled in her side. The two girls closed their eyes in contentment and enjoyed their closeness to one another. However, the moment did not last long. They heard the rising voice of Glim as she began to shout at another patron. All of a sudden, she stormed back to the table and latched her gaze onto Catra as she spoke, "We need to drink."

"Well yea, we're in a pub. That is what we are here for."

"No moron. We're in a drinking contest with a couple of bigger morons who think they're hot shite. You in or are you out?"

Catra barely took a moment before breaking out into a wide grin and responding, <I'm always in to out drink some humans>

Glim returned her wide grin, though hers was a tad more sadistic, as she spoke <First thing you've said today that makes sense. Let's go.>

As Catra began to get up, she sensed Adora's despondent loss of her new favorite resting position. She turned with an amused grin on her face as she addressed her, "If me leaving bothers you that much, you can always sit in my lap as I drink."

Adora immediately began to sputter while Bow just flat out burst into laughter. Catra sauntered away from the table, not so subtly swaying her hips as she did so. Adora grabbed her pint and began to chug to try and deal with the sudden heat blazing in her cheeks. Bow turned to her as he finished laughing, "You're going to need more than just one pint to handle that."

"Yea no kidding. I'm going to die tonight."

"Oh but what a sweet death it will be. Come on, let's go sit with them."

Though Adora didn't take her up on the offer, she did sit as close to Catra as she could, much to the other woman's delight. She saw that Catra and Glim sat on one side of the table, while two men and some of their friends sat at the other end. There were shot glasses for each of the participants with various bottles in the middle. Glim looked thoroughly unimpressed with the number of them though. She raised her eyes to the men sitting across from her, "Alright fuckfaces, here's how we do this. We win or lose as a team. Each team member must take a drink or their team loses. If you can't handle it, you can switch out for someone else. If you do switch out, you can't come back. The game ends when one team can't compete anymore. Losing team has to pay for all liquor."

The men wore angry gazes as they agreed to the terms of the game. With their compliance, all four contestants reached for a bottle to pour the first shots. Each of them effortlessly took their first drink, staring at the other team with alternating expressions of hate and amusement. Once they were all done, the four were pouring another shot. And then another. And then a fourth. And then a fifth. Catra and Glim never hesitated and never slowed down. Eventually, the toll of rapidly drinking large quantities of hard alcohol began to slow the men down. One suddenly rushed from the table to the toilet. Glim raised her eyebrow expectantly at the bystanders on the sidelines. A woman stepped forward to take her place in the empty seat and promptly poured her first. Adora and Bow joined in as well, taking shots with Catra and Glim but not nearly at the same rapid pace.

The table went through another eight bottles over the course of the game. Catra and Glim were drunk by this point, but still never flinched from their shots, while the other team seemed like they were struggling to just stay alive. Adora at one point tried to keep up but quickly found out she could not. She found herself once again glued to Catra's side, an arm wrapped around her waist while Catra continued to play the game one handed. In her very inebriated state, Adora mused that if she did happen to slide just a bit, she would plant herself in Catra's lap. Perhaps just a couple more, for courage of course. She slammed both down, one after the other, earning a look of confusion from Catra until she realized why the blonde was suddenly drinking more rapidly than usual. As Adora moved herself into Catra's lap, the brunette let out a loud laugh that echoed throughout the pub. Adora was overcome with embarrassment, and hid her burning face in Catra's neck to avoid looking at anyone, looping her arms around Catra as she did so. Catra moved her arm to help secure Adora in place, her hand coming to rest on her stomach underneath her shirt and began to rub circles on her bare skin. Adora shivered at the contact but made absolutely no move to stop it. Trying to even the odds, she placed a kiss on Catra's neck, just below her jaw, and was rewarded with feeling the brunette shiver in response.

Suddenly, one of the last two members of the other team that were still able to stand shot up and loudly shouted, "You two fuckers are cheating! There's no way you can drink this much!"

Glim leapt up in response and matched the level of volume as she responded in kind, "Then fuckin quit if you're that desperate to not admit you're shite at this game!"

"Bitch I…. I…." The man didn't get any farther than that as he stumbled and fell to the floor, the liquor putting him out for good.

Glim raised both arms high in the air as she let out a long cry of victory. The shout was echoed by many in the pub who had gathered to watch the contest. Adora giggled and raised her head enough to whisper "You did it beautiful" in Catra's ear before placing a kiss on her cheek.

Catra turned her head and returned the kiss to Adora's forehead and whispered back, "Chabraigh tù, mo sholas lonrach" with pure adoration lighting up her multicolored eyes. The foreign language didn't fail to send a new wave of shivers up and down Adora's body as she tucked her head back into Catra's neck. She felt their bodies begin to rock back and forth as Catra hummed a tune. Neither one noticed when Bow took his leave, citing tours he needed to give in the morning.

Though they were able to stay in that position for longer than the last time they found themselves content, they were interrupted once again, this time by the bartender. She approached the table and introduced herself as the owner as she said, "Aye lasses, that was a fine show. Best drinking I've seen in donkeys years. But we are left with a problem. You just put me musical entertainment for the evening on their collective arses for the next two full days by the looks of them. Now, I've already paid them. Until they are conscious enough to pay for the liquor to compensate, I find myself out a good bit of money and a debt owed since you two were the cause of their inability to play. So lasses, how are we going to settle this?"

The bartender became more serious as she spoke, looking between Glim and Catra as she did so. While the two were now very drunk with all the alcohol thoroughly infused in their systems, they still had enough coherence to know they were about to get into trouble again. This time they didn't have Bow to do damage control, and Adora was both unfamiliar with the bartender and just as if not more drunk than they were. The two women looked at each other, trying to have a mental conversation but failing miserably. After a short time, Catra spoke up, "Do you have the in..instru….the music things here?"

The woman raised her eyebrow as she answered, "Yea, the band got set up before you got here. Why do you ask?"

Glim fully turned towards Catra as she asked, "Yea Catra, why do you ask?"

"We could play."

The owner considered her offer for a moment, but shook her head at the prospect. "You expect me to believe the two of you can play good music in your state?"

"We play better drunk."

Adora took this opportunity to join in, "Yay, Catra gets to play!" She said as she sat up and threw her hands in the air before falling back down onto Catra's shoulder. Catra hugged her tight and nuzzled her cheek on the top of Adora's head. Glim rolled her eyes at the interaction before speaking to Catra, <Just what do you think you're doing?>

<Getting us out of trouble and keeping the party going.>

<Keeping the party going? Catra, we've fought, we've drank, and one word from you will have Adora falling into bed with you. What more do you want?>

<I want to play for her>

<Fucking dammit, this shit again! I don't see why I should be dragged into this horseshit!>

<Besides the fact that the bartender is upset at you too? I'll buy you two barrels>

<....... _Three_ barrels>

<Two and an assorted crate of other whiskeys>

Glim's left eye twitched at the offer. After a moment of silence, she extended her hand to lay it flat in the air and in a very serious tone said, <Swear an oath>

Catra was taken back by the demand and asked, <What, you don't trust me?>

<After the pain in my ass that you've been today, yes I'd like a little reassurance that I'll get what has been promised to make up for it. Swear an oath or Adora doesn't get to hear you play>

It wasn't really a hard decision for Catra to make. She extended her hand to lay it flat on top of Glim's and spoke in an equally serious voice, <I swear by the magic that flows within us that I will honor my promise of buying you two barrels of your choice of Bushmills and a crate of your choice of other assorted whiskies>

Unbeknownst to anyone but them, sparks of electricity danced between their palms when Catra was finished. Once it died down, Glim broke out into a wide grin and stood up as she addressed the bartender, "Aye, if you'll have us, we'll play for ye."

The woman looked between the two of them for a moment, considered their now united front, and let out a deep sigh before responding with a smile of her own, "Well, what have I got to lose? If you lasses play as well as you drink, I figure it'll whip this sorry place into a proper party. The stage is over there, some of the instruments are already set up. To the right is a room with others if they strike yer fancy."

With that, she turned and made her way back behind the bar. Glim began to walk over to the stage to prep the instruments she would be playing. Catra secured her grip on Adora before effortlessly standing with her, a feat that sent a pleasant warmth racing through the blonde's body. The brunette weaved her way through the tables and patrons with ease, her hold never lessening and never slipping. She reached the table closest to the stage and set Adora down, though the blonde whined when she felt the loss of closeness. Catra giggled as she raised her hands to gently cup Adora's face, "Don't worry, grá geal mo chroí, I'm not leaving. I'm going to play some music for you, okay?"

Despite her earlier exuberance at the prospect of Catra performing, Adora now found herself wanting nothing more than to continue to be wrapped in the brunette's embrace. She quietly pleaded, "Promise you'll come back."

Catra's heart clenched at Adora's plea. She placed a kiss on her forehead before responding in a voice so quiet it was meant only for them, "I promise I'll come back to you."

She started to draw away, but Adora shot her hands forward and grasped Catra's face in an equally delicate manner before kissing the corner of her mouth. Catra was stunned for a moment while Adora looked down to try to hide a now very familiar burn in her cheeks. She offered a quiet explanation, "For luck" as she let a smile overtake her.

Catra hugged Adora's head close to her, but their moment was interrupted _a-fucking-gain_ as she heard Glim shout behind her, "Come on moron, let's start this up!"

Reluctantly, Catra pulled away, keeping her hands on Adora's cheeks as long as she could. Once she made her way onto the stage and set herself up with her instruments, Glim spoke up once again, <You two done making out?>

<Oh please, you'd love a show like that>

<As if. I could watch far more entertaining things in any backwater bog in Etheria>

<Whatever. Let's do this>

As Catra finished speaking, her dual colored eyes began to softly glow, catching Glim's attention. She raised her eyebrows at the action while she studied Catra's face. The brunette only gave a slow nod as an answer. Glim just laughed as she realized what Catra wanted to do. <OK, this'll be way more fun then> she said as her own eyes lit up in the same manner.

With an agreement reached, they closed their eyes and began to let the music flow. From the first note, a thrum of energy was felt by all those in the pub, capturing their attention and drawing them into the melodic tones. At first, the two just played their respective instruments, letting the unknown energy build and build in the room. The patrons and bartender felt drawn to their feet as their bodies responded to the sounds being produced. Almost as one, everyone in the pub began to slowly dance in various forms. Only Adora seemed unaffected, though due to the liquor coursing through her she still felt the energy causing some kind of reaction in her.

Once it seemed that the energy had reached some sort of threshold, Catra began to sing. Her enrapturing voice did nothing to betray her drunkenness, and in fact it seemed her claim of playing better drunk was proven true. She slowly sang as she and Glim kept the pace at a crawl to begin with. During this leisurely period, she sang in English, then switched into Irish as the pace picked up. When she did so, the dancing became more energized, with every person becoming more lively. Adora felt her mind become fuzzy as the music became overwhelmingly loud in her head. Catra stopped singing for a time as she and Glim played faster and faster. The dancing in the pub reached almost a frantic rate, everyone hollering as the energy arrested their thoughts and actions. When Catra began singing again, she had switched languages a second time, this time chanting in her unknown language. As she began, she opened her eyes and stared directly at Adora. The blonde felt that she would pass out from their intensity. That helpless rabbit feeling returned, but at the same time even if she could muster the energy to flee, she didn't want to.

She rose from her seat, compelled by some unknown force, and was drawn towards the brunette, who also stood from her seat and began walking towards her. Adora felt herself begin to fade as the only things she became aware of were the sounds of the music, the beautiful woman coming towards her, and the ensnaring voice pouring from her. Had Adora not been entranced by those glowing sapphire and gold eyes, she would have noticed that Catra and Glim's instruments were playing on their own, the pink haired girl having stood and dancing on stage. Neither did anyone else notice, so caught up in moving their bodies as rapidly to the music as they could.

Catra continued singing right up until she reached Adora. Once she stood in front of her, she brought her hands to Adora's face once again, seemingly staring deep into Adora's very being. They shared a breathless moment before leaning into each other. As Adora's consciousness slipped from her, she felt stars explode in her mind as the softest texture possible graced her lips and the sweetest flavor imaginable danced on her tongue.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations
> 
> Scundered- Embarrassed  
> A chhuisle mo chroi- Pulse of my heart  
> Mo mhuirnin dilis- My dearly beloved/my own true love  
> Colcannon- Mashed potatoes mixed with Kale or cabbage  
> A chara! Conas ata tu?- My friend! How are you?  
> Ta me go an maith, a stoirin- I am well, my little treasure  
> Pure- Very  
> Cailin alainn- Pretty girl  
> Mighty Craic- Good fun  
> I'll knack yer melt in wee doll!- I shall deal with you in a severe and violent manner young lady  
> Sids- Small Irish dicks  
> Beck- Mouth  
> Fair dig- Let's fight  
> Garda- Police  
> Ta tu chomh milis- You are so sweet  
> Chabraigh tu, mo sholas lonrach- You helped, my shining light  
> Donkeys years- A long time  
> Gra geal mo chroi- Shining/bright love of my heart
> 
> Music
> 
> Hiking Scene- The Blood of Cu Chulainn by Mychael Danna, Jeff Danna  
> Fight Scene- Either The Warrior's Code or I'm Shipping Up To Boston, both by Dropkick Murphys. I like the lyrics of the first more but the music of the second more. I leave the choice up to you!  
> Drinking contest- The Dublin Pub Crawl by The Irish Rovers  
> Musical performance- Come to the Dance by Emerald Rose
> 
> Let me hear your thoughts! Did you like the descriptions? Did the environment feel accurate? Were the characters' personalities as accurate as this AU will allow? Did the dialogue feel natural to those speaking? I will happily hear any answers to these questions and more!


End file.
